John Candy

Actor / Comedian

Born: 31 October 1950

Died: 4 March 1994 (heart attack)

Birthplace: Toronto, Canada

Best known as: Steve Martin's hefty co-star in Planes, Trains and Automobiles

A classic big-guy comedian, John Candy played a series of exasperating but lovable lugs on Canadian television and in the movies. Candy was a product of the Toronto cast of the famous Second City comedy troupe, and he became part of the ensemble cast for the hit sketch comedy series SCTV (1976-83). From there he moved into feature films, including Stripes (1981, with Bill Murray), the romantic comedy Splash (1984, with Candy as the playboy brother of Tom Hanks), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987, with Steve Martin), and the Jamaican bobsled comedy Cool Runnings (1993). Though he also dabbled in drama, he was mainly a comedian, and he most often played socially clumsy but big-hearted dudes who could be counted on to do the right thing in the end. He died of a heart attack in Durango, Mexico while on location for his last film, Wagons East.

Extra credit: Candy became a part-owner of the CFL's Toronto Argonauts in 1991; his partners included hockey great Wayne Gretzky... SCTV ran from 1976-84, but Candy was not a regular in the final season.